What To Do When Your Star Leads You To A Stable

Written by Harold Herring.

As the song says. . .”It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Seventy years ago this month the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” premiered.

Philip Van Doren Stern had tried unsuccessfully for years to shop his short story “The Greatest Gift” but he couldn’t find an interested publisher.  So one year he printed up 200 copies of the story and sent it out as a 21 page Christmas card.

A Hollywood producer somehow got a hold of the card and purchased the movie rights for $10,000.  That was in 1946.

The movie was shot during the summer of 46 which explains why Jimmy Stewart was sweating in a number of scenes even though movie magic made it look like the winter.

Frank Capra, the director of the movie. . .who was an engineer by training created a new kind of snow for movies.  It was a mixture of fire extinguisher foam and corn flakes.

Though the movie initially bombed at the box office it ended up as a Christmas time classic watched every year around the world.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when George Baily, played by the late great Jimmy Stewart, begins to pray.

He starts:  “Dear Father in heaven, I’m not a praying man, but if you’re up there and you can hear me….

Removing Hindrances To Your Prosperity

Written by Harold Herring.

In less then two weeks. . .we will celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  His birth was the greatest gift ever given.

A gift that is priceless and never goes out of style or date.

Our Heavenly Father is a giver and He wants us to be givers as well.

He wants each of us manifesting all His precious promises that are in the Word of God and that includes prospering even in the midst of adversity.

But there’s a problem. . .

Some believers feel they’re not good enough to manifest His promises.  That’s a lie of the devil.

Some believers think that where they are in life. . .is where they will always be   ... or are destined to be.

Some believers don’t know what the Bible says about them prospering and being in health.

And, sadly some believers know more about the world economy than they do the Word economy.

We feel impress to stop and discuss this last point for a few minutes.

There is nothing wrong with lacking financial knowledge unless you have no motivation to increase your understanding.

James 1:5 in the Classic Amplified Bible says:

Little Things Birth Large Opportunities

Written by Harold Herring.

The reason most people can’t see the big picture. . .is because they’re worrying about little things.

Erma Bombeck, the author and humorist, once said:

“Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

Now don’t get me wrong, attention to the details is important … but worrying about them is not.  In fact, it’s counter-productive and detrimental to the achievement of your goals.

Dwight L. Moody, the famed evangelist, once said:

“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do the little things.”

Little things that are important should not to be ignored or improperly handled. . .lest they become big things.

As Christians. . .it’s important to discern what’s important so little things don’t wipe us out. . .emotionally, physically and spiritually.

The question becomes. . .is God concerned about the little things in our lives?

7 Ways To Overcome Being Offended

Written by Harold Herring.

I was reading a book when I came across a powerful quote by Pastor Joel Osteen who said:

“Every day we have plenty of opportunities to get angry, stressed or offended. But what you're doing when you indulge these negative emotions is giving something outside yourself power over your happiness. You can choose to not let little things upset you.”

Have you ever had someone say something to you that cut you to the quick?  Something that wounded you deeply even though you knew they were wrong in their assessment?

I had such an experience and it wasn’t fun. . .it fact, it hurt very deeply.

This person is someone for whom I’d done many things for over the years . . . made decisions and suggestions that literally made them millions of dollars.

These friends had listened to a third voice. . .one that sought to advance himself at my expense.  These friends assumed the third voice was correct. . . because he was part of their family.

Though he was wrong. . . their perception of the events he described or alluded to. . .became their reality even without hearing the other side.

I’ll be honest … the things they said brought me to the point of offense.  But then, I realized what the enemy was trying to do.  He wanted me offended and hurt. . .thus opening myself to further and greater attacks by him.

Thanks be to God that I realized this first. You see, offense is a foul trick of the devil. 

7 Keys To Becoming A Spiritual EMT

Written by Harold Herring.

Have you ever been in a situation where you needed an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) to administer immediate assistance or provide transportation?

I remember when a volunteer Rescue Squad was formed in my hometown of LaGrange, North Carolina.  This dedicated group of men and women donated their time for training and responding to emergency situations.

I also remember that every time the LaGrange Rescue Squad was dispatched on an emergency call. . .it was reported in our local newspaper, The Weekly Gazette.  It’s a bit humorous (kinda) that everything reported from having a baby to having a heart attack was referred to as a “sudden illness.” 

We know because when they rushed to our home on a Thursday evening and took our newly arrived baby girl and us to the hospital, our precious bundle of joy was described as a ‘sudden illness’ … even though she was 9 months in the making.

Over the years, the title of the organization evolved into EMTs. . .truthfully, the name does have a little more pizazz than rescue squad.

The protocols used by EMTs have an amazing parallel to spiritual EMTs otherwise known as “Emergency Miracle Technician.”

Now you’re probably wondering who in the world is an Emergency Miracle Technician and how in the world. . .do you become designated, trained and identified as such?

Is the spiritual EMT your pastor. . .it could be.

7 Things About 911

Written by Harold Herring.

I’m convinced that it’s time . . . really past time for believers who want to avoid a catastrophic financial 911 to make a 9-1-1 call to their Heavenly Father.

When you call. . .He always answers. . .you’re one of His favorites

Jeremiah 33:3 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).”

Psalm 50:15 in the New Living Translation says:

“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”